Taking Havre de Grace back to the 1920s

A sign at the Bahoukas Antique Mall on Union Avenue in Havre de Grace reminds folks about the upcoming Graw Days Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. For details, see Page 2.

A sign at the Bahoukas Antique Mall on Union Avenue in Havre de Grace reminds folks about the upcoming Graw Days Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. For details, see Page 2. (Matt Button | Record Staff, Patuxent Publishing)

KAYLA BAWROSKI, kabawroski@theaegis.com

Celebrate this "Roaring 20s" this weekend in Havre de Grace at the Fourth Annual Graw Days Festival on Saturday.

The Graw Days Festival hearkens to the early 1900s and the heyday of Havre de Grace's racetrack, built in 1912 and called "The Graw," according to a Havre de Grace Main Street press release.

The free admission festival will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Havre de Grace, but the fun begins Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Graw Day Festival Eve. The festival eve corresponds with First Fridays in Havre de Grace and will be held on the historic streets of Havre de Grace.

For kids, there will be free balloons at 494 Franklin St. until 9 p.m. today and again on Saturday for Graw Days. There will also be pony rides, face painting, a moon bounce and several local mascots, bringing family-friendly events to the festival.

There will also be horse-drawn carriages to take visitors on tours of downtown Havre de Grace, as well as tours of the Graw clubhouse and other historic buildings. There will be more than 100 vendors at Graw Days.

Throughout the day Saturday, visitors can enjoy live entertainment from Old Crippled & Crazy, the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, Swanee River Ragtime Band and musicians from the Maryland Conservatory of Music, according to the release.

Capping off the day of festivities on Saturday is the Graw Days Gala from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Hall, complete with live entertainment from the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble and dinner provided by Laurrapin Grill. Feel free to come dressed in 1920s costume, or black tie.

In addition to dancing, there will also be a live and silent auction with a variety of items up for sale, including commemorative pieces from Woodstock Farm's Bohemia Stables – the home of the late champion racehorse Kelso, a helicopter ride over Havre de Grace and more than 20 items donated by locals from Havre de Grace.

For more information on any of these events, or to purchase tickets for the Graw Days Gala, contact http://www.mainstreethdg.com or 410-939-1811.